r/WildernessBackpacking

First overnight backpacking trip coming up. I’m not new to hiking, but this will be my first time sleeping overnight on the trail.

Location is around 6,000ft, river in canyon terrain, with recent lows around 39 to 42°F.

Sleep setup:

Tent: Naturehike Mongar UL 2

Pad: Therm-a-Rest Trail Pro Max Large

Quilt: Paria Thermodown 15 Down Quilt

I'm not sure about the quilt rating. It looks thinner than what I expected. I'm also wondering about drafts from the tent and quilt.

Does anybody have experience with this gear? Will it likely be enough for nights around 40°F?

Recently getting into wilderness backpacking and trying to build a setup that’ll work for most of what I want to do without immediately spending ultralight money.

I live in NC and will mostly be backpacking in the NC mountains/Blue Ridge/Smokies during 3 seasons, but I also want to occasionally take trips out west. I don’t really plan on camping below 30 degrees, although I guess that could change later on.

Right now I’m looking at the Kelty Cosmic 20 as my sleeping bag. Would that work well for most of my use cases or would I regret not going warmer/lighter?

Current setup is an REI Flash 55 and a Half Dome 2 Plus. Also wondering if all of this should fit reasonably well in the Flash 55 or if I’m pushing it too much volume-wise.

Just trying to build a solid beginner setup that I can grow into over time

I’m sure there is a ton of these threads already but why not. I have done a lot of car camping in the eastern sierras and plan to go on some Backpacking fishing trips soon. These will likely be 1-3 nights. Mostly curious of what I should prioritize buying new and used. Found a fair amount of gear online used and some new is around the same price. Don’t need the most up to date light weight bla bla bla. Just good quality for price gear. I hope to go about 3 times before winter. I found a guy near me with great reviews selling patched nemo pads so sleeping pad is out the way. Wondering for input on many things one of which is my tent. The trekking pole tents seem pretty great for weight and size. I’ll likely have my gf for most of these trips so a 2 person is mandatory. Also how to choose the size of bag I get. I like to buy companies that are willing to back there products with warranties. I know this is rather vague just want to hear others options and advice. Thanks and happy trails.

I currently have the Bi Agnes Rapide mattress, and it pretty solid and I get a decent nights sleep. I keep hearing and reading though that the ZenBivy Flex Air Matress is a BIG step up in terms of comfort and quality of sleep.

Those who have experience with these two. Is there any truth to the claims? Is it worth the money to buy the Zenbivy Matress?

I am looking to buy a new sleeping pad, I just am stuck between a few different options. The top contenders are the Nemo Tensor, S2S Ether light or big agnes rapide. I have gone to my local rei and was able to test the big agnes and the Nemo, however they do not carry s2s pads. I am a side sleeper so I need something that is comfortable and thick. What are your experiences with these pads? Is there one you would choose over the other? Whats your experience when contacting these companies for help with your product?

I've been trying to find a good route for a weekend trip around the Delaware water gap. Ideally, we would hike for just a few miles on Friday and camp, have a main hiking day on Saturday (10-15 miles ish), and have a few miles on Sunday (Idealy less than 10). Im looking for either a loop, or a route where we could car shuttle- but an out and back is good too. Does anyone have any Ideas? Thanks for any help!

Really random question - back in the 70's, we could still drink water straight from streams/lakes in Yosemite. No fears then of Giardia, etc.

Is there anywhere in the U.S. that one can still drink water straight from a body of water, untreated?

EDIT: To clarify, I don't drink untreated/filtered water while backpacking, as now days it just seems too risky (have had Giarda once - that was enough). The trip I referred to above was in pretty high trail areas of Yosemite, so perhaps less risky, as there were fewer people running around the mountains then? Our leader (I was a kid then) was not concerned (and we were clueless).

Guess my question had more to do with any perceived/real changes in water quality since that time.

Hi everyone, im planning on going hinking in the swiss alps for 7 days in late august. since i only had a 30l daypack before, i went to my local globetrotter store to look what they had to offer. upon reaching the second hand section i saw they had a 70+15l tnf rogue backpack for 20 bucks. i bought it, thinking even if its too big, its too good of a steal to let go. its in good condition, but im kind of worried its too big/bulky for summer conditions. i will be carrying food for 2 days since there is a 2 day stretch without resupply, if this changes anything. would love to hear your thoughts. i also today saw a 55l secondhand fjallräaven backpack for 130 bucks. if it helps im 19m, 190cm, 74kg

Hi there. Asst. Scoutmaster with a Troop based near Charlotte, NC. We are supposed to backpack in the Panthertown area this weekend, however, weather is not looking all that great with rain both Saturday and Sunday. Our Scoutmaster has tasked us with finding alternatives.

The rain situation looks better closer to the coast, but I can't seem to find any backpacking trails that have 4-6 miles of total hiking (whether in a loop or out and back) with an overnight camp.

Any ideas?

I personally prefer backpacking solo and going at my own pace. I've done a lot of solo time in the Wind River Range, which technically is grizzly habitat but I've never seen any bears or felt even remotely worried about them out there. I did one short solo in Glacier NP and was pretty paranoid and made lots of noise but never saw a bear. I've also done a ton of hiking in the Tetons and run into a number of griz, but mostly along popular trails so they didn't pay any mind to me probably because they were fairly used to humans.

Well recently I've been getting psyched for the coming backpacking season and I've been plotting potential trips, and the common theme with the spots I've been looking at is that they are bigger more remote and lesser travelled wilderness in fairly dense grizzly country (like the Bob Marshall wilderness in MT and Absarokas in the GYE). I've got bear safe food storage, know the usual protocols, and have never had an issue in the pasts, but I know the spots I'm looking at are a step up for grizzly hazard.

So I'm just curious has anyone else done extensive solo time in more remote wilderness areas with dense grizzly population? What was your experience and did you have any encounters or close calls?

Im pretty new to hiking and backpacking but I've done a few over night trips and a bunch of day hikes. I have a decent amount of gear I have acquired already but just wanted to see what you guys would bring up the mountain with you. I'll be car camping at a site near by so sleep systems are not necessary.

Main Gear:

• Non-waterproof trail runners (New Balance Fresh Foam x Herrio)
• Neoprene Socks (Orvis 0.5mm Wading Sock)
• 55l Backpack (Durston Kakwa)
• Hiking Poles (REI Traverse)
• 20F Down Sleeping Bag (TNF Trail Lite)
• Sleeping Pad (Nemo Tensor All-Season)
• Trekking Pole Tent (Cheap one from amazon)
• Dry bags for sleeping bag, clothes, miscellaneous items. Wrapped my sleeping bag and clothes in an additional trash bag.
• 4l of water. This turned out to be a good amount, could maybe get by with 3l.

Temp:

• 5/9 Arrival to trailhead - 68F
• 5/9 High - 82F / 90F in the sun
• 5/9-5/10 Overnight Low - 55F
• 5/10 High 92F
• It looks like the temp was around 93F in Springdale on 5/9, so similar temps.
• I was surprised how much sun we actually got. Probably 3+ hours.

Campsites:

• Site 1 - Extremely small. The worst one we saw
• Site 2/3 - Missed
• Site 4 - Also small, a little more room than 1.
• Site 5 - Pretty Big, mostly shaded. Decent spot.
• Site 6/7/8 - Missed
• Site 9 - Pretty Big. Tucked against the rocks. Good spot.
• Site 10/11 - Missed
• Site 12 - Big. Probably the best spot we saw.

Bugs:

• Certain spots along the hike with a ton of black biting flies. They swarmed us at site 9 until dark and then mosquitos came out for a bit around dusk and again in the morning. We did not bring bug spray and wish we wouldve.

Trip:

Day 1

• Arrived Friday 5/8 at the Visitor's Center to pick up the permit. Completely packed, zero parking. The ranger said there would be 5-6 swims between the first narrows and waterfall. Recommended a dry suit. We went right to Zion Adventures to ask their opinion on gear and they said it was right between needing a dry suit or just neoprene socks.
• Took the 6:15am shuttle through Zion Adventures to Chamberlain's Ranch Trailhead.
• Saw a few bighorn sheep on the drive up.
• Arrived at the trailhead at 7:30.
• Hike for about 3mi along the dirt path. There's a stream crossing immediately starting the hike.
• Hiked for a total of 12mi/6.5hr to Site 9. Not as strenuous as I was expecting. We were planning for potentially a 10hr day so we had a lot of time to kill after arriving to the site at 2:30pm, should have packed some cards. Zero swims, nothing got above our knees. A little confused why the ranger would have such different info. There were spots were you could swim along most of the hike but nothing where you had to on the first day. Also EXTREMELY glad we did not wear anything other than shorts and neoprene socks. Even got warm at times and preferred walking in the water to cool down. Only saw 5 other people, all staying overnight.
• Slept amazing. Was pretty warm until early morning and never got cold.

Day 2

• Hiked for a total of 8.1mi back to the park shuttle. Two areas where it was chest/shoulder deep but a short ways across. Lost my footing on the first crossing but could have probably stayed on my feet if I was careful (6ft tall). Saw 2 deer grazing and cross the water early on which was awesome. Didn’t see many day hikers until the last 3mi or so, but there were a ton then.
• The park shuttle back to the Visitor’s Center wasn’t too busy, but it’s a lot of stops on the way back.
• Decided to walk back to Zion Adventures since the Springdale shuttle had a big line and it was an easy walk.

Takeaways:

• Amazing experience, should be a bucket list item for all backpackers. Sleeping and spending time in the narrows with not many people around is magical.
• Deciding on gear, especially clothing, can be difficult. Ask around and read as many reviews as possible to determine temps and water depth, I would err on the side of being warm.
• Bring bug spray, or at least long clothing for the biting flies.

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Hi everyone, I’m 1.76m (5’9”) and trying to decide between the Naturehike Star River UL2 and Mongar UL2 for backpacking on the European mainland. Main areas: Germany, Alps, Pyrenees, and possibly Norway. The tent will see use mostly in spring, summer, and late summer use. Both seem like great budget ultralight double-wall 2P tents similar weight (~1.5-1.7kg range), ~210cm length (plenty for me), two vestibules, etc.

My specific worries: • Mongar UL2: Higher cut vestibule. Will this let more wind/rain/spray in during Alpine or Norwegian weather? • Star River UL2: High cut head side / inner tent design. Which makes it a single wall tent at the head end. I’ve seen comments about more condensation dripping at the head. Ventilation is important to me because of potential condensation in damp European conditions. Star River UL seems to have a more full-mesh inner and better vents, while the Mongar has more fabric. Anyone with real-world experience with either? How do they handle rain, wind, and condensation in similar conditions? Which would you pick for my use case and why? Thanks in advance. really appreciate any chime-ins!

I've never had a raccoon mess around my campsite before but the other night I was camping and had a crate out of my sleep stuff (no food) right outside my tent. At some point I noticed a raccoon hanging out behind my crate inside the vestibule area (not inside the tent obv)

I didn't smell any urine/didn't see feces and there was no food for them to eat

I am scared of racoons bc rabies obv, and bc I have no idea how disease transmission works in a situation like this

Is my sleep stuff okay if the racoons touched everything? What is the likelihood of risk in a situation like this?

EDIT: Thanks y'all 🙏🏽 the burns were helpful to calm my anxiety lol Appreciate it!

Bear, moose, mountain lion, wolf, snake, anything.

How close were you and what honestly went through your mind in that moment?

I just got home from an overnight on San Gorgonio in SoCal with my new Nemo All Season sleeping pad. But I absolutely FROZE. The R rating is like a 6.2, so its designed to keep you warm even on snow. But as a slightly built female I couldnt seem to warm the air in it enough to keep myself warm all night. It was a terrible night of sleep.

Any recommendations for a sleeping pad that has foam but isn't too heavy or bulky? Thanks!

I did JMT in 22, and am doing it again this year. Because I like to get up early and get going, I tend to eat a quick breakfast. Last time it was basically Pro-Meal bars or Pop Tarts. Neither were that great in the early morning hours as they were usually cold, hard, and just not that appetizing. I'm curious to what you all eat when on trail when you don't want to take the time to heat up anything and is nutritious enough to get your day started on the long climbs.